Guiding means for piercing mill

ABSTRACT

The disclosure of this invention relates to guiding devices for use with a piercing mill and, more particularly, to what is referred to as guiding discs. The illustration of the invention discloses an arbor for each guiding disc received in a separate housing, the guiding disc being carried by extending portions of their arbors. Piston cylinder assemblies are connected to the extending portions of the arbors for creating a force for causing a forcible contact between the discs and arbors and allowing wedges to be inserted between the piston rods and spacer elements arranged to contact the discs. The arbors are rotated by gear trains in addition to being axially adjusted by worm wheel sets.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,842,640 Schmitt et a1. Oct. 22, 1974 GUIDING MEANS FOR PIERCING MILL 3,457,755 7/1969 Perner 72/164 [75] Inventors: aul Sc min; an d H both of 3,703,030 11/1972 S1mms 29/452 Saarbmecken Germany Primary ExaminerMi1ton S. Mehr Assigneei wean Uniied, Pittsburgh, Attorney, Agent, or FirmHenry C. Westin; Daniel 22 Filed: Mar. 5, 1973 Patch [21] Appl. No.: 337,989 [57] ABSTRACT i The disclosure of this invention relates to guiding de- [30] Foreign Applicatmn Priomy Dam vices for use with a piercing mill and, more particu Apr. 19, 1972 Germany 2219894 l rly t wh t i referred to as discs The lug. tration of the invention discloses an arbor for each UsS- Cldisc received in a eparate housing the guid disc being carried extending portions of their [581 held of Search 403/31, 261; 72/250, 238, arbors. Piston cylinder assemblies are connected to 72/239 247; 279/245, 4 the extending portions of the arbors for creating a force for causing a forcible contact between the discs References Cited and arbors and allowing wedges to be inserted be- UNITED STATES PATENTS tween the piston rods and spacer elements arranged to 1,784,791 12/1930 Gruber 72/250 Contact the diSCS- The arbors are rotated y gear trains 2,645,955 7/1953 Friedman 72/28 in a ti n to eing axially adjusted by worm wheel 2,866,370 12/1958 Biach 81/54 sets. 2,950,934 8/1960 Uebingmn. 72/224 x 3,104,459 9/1963 Wendt 29/252 8 Clams, 4 Drawmg Flgures 1 I I 1 B 26 3 31 I 22 C 1 ,1 34 L 1 -=i o 1 2 3 1 11 Z O 4 J I1 1 5 6x I I 36 F 1 1' 1 12- 13 35 c 14 9 17 -15 The invention relates to two roll piercing mills for the production of tubes having heavy over-hung, driven guide discs in the housings of the mills.

As is well known, during the development of piercing mills designers always strove to design the bearings of work rolls and location of required guide tools in such a way that a minimum of production loss (downtime) occurs during change-over of these tools. The arrangements of the work rolls, vertical as well as horizontal, with a pair of guiding devices, such as shoes, rolls or driven discs are also well known.

In spite of the fact that such designs have been generally beneficial, present designs have proven insufficient in view of the increase in production and the related frequency of tool change due to increased wear and considerable resulting downtime.

Whereas present designs are mainly concerned with the arrangement of the work rolls, this invention pertains to an improved design of the guiding'devices with the object of decreasing the downtime due to tool change.

It has already been proposed to reduce the disadvantage of downtime by arranging driven horizontal guide discs with the capability of being swung out tothe sides away from the passline of the mill. However, since necessary adjustments to the passline can only be accomplished through shims, which require the removal of the guide discs, the expected time gain is thereby lost.

Therefore, this invention provides an improved guiding means for a piercing mill of the above-described nature having the following objects:

a. Wherein the guiding means includes an arbor located in a fixed housing at the roll stand, forming with the guide disc and a power means, for example, piston cylinder assembly, a separate unit which unit is axially displaceable, and wherein An extension of the arbor for the guide disc is separately connected to the cylinder assembly through the piston rod thereof, whereby through a wedged coupling a controllable, restrained operating connection is obtained, and further wherein 0. At the same time the cylinder assembly is usable as a device for guide disc changing and remains an integral part with the unit during operation after the necessary fluid supply lines have been disconnected.

With the aid of the following drawings the invention will be explained in detail with respect to one of the discs of the usually cooperative pair of guide discs in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through a guide disc constructed in accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a section view along line A-B in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a section view along line C-D in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is an elevational view, partly in section, of the guide disc in a partly disassembled condition.

In referring to FIG. 1 one of an identical pair of guiding devices for a mill will be described, in which located on an arbor 2 that is provided with a shoulder l are bearing 3, spacer 4, spur gear 5, spacer 6, and a second bearing 7 retained through an end plate 8; arranged to form an assembled unit with an adjustable sleeve 9 that .2 is provided with threaded section 10 and retains bearing 7 without axial play.

The bearing 3 and adjustable sleeve 9 are located in a fixed housing 11 with a sliding fit, in which key 12, located in the adjustable sleeve 9, engages a cone sponding keyslot 13 in housing 11; thus preventing rotational displacement of part 9 to part 11. End presses, consisting of parts 14 and 15, firmly mounted to the housing 11, and sealed through cover 18, contain a worm gear nut 17, that is located in bearings, not shown, and held against axially displaceable. The internal thread 16 is engaged with threaded shaft 10 of the adjustable sleeve 9. The entire assembly is rotated about an axis arranged parallel to the broken line in FIG. 1 from an operative to an inoperative position relative to the mill passline.

The portion of arbor 2 extending outside the housing 11 is provided with a key 19 and supports a guide disc 21 which is provided with a key slot 20. The disc is firmly held against a spacer 22 and against the arbor shoulder 1 by a wedge 23. In order to create a necessary preload for the wedge connection, the arbor 2 is connected to a piston rod 26 of a double-acting piston cylinder assembly 27 through an opening 24 (FIG. 3) and T-section 25 0s the piston rod (bayonet joint) while cylinder 27 is firmly mounted to a retainer 28 which is shaped to allow for quick-connect (bayonet joint) with part 22 as shown in FIG. 2.

During assembly of the disclosed unit, as shown in FIG. 4, the unit consisting of the guide disc 21, spacer 22, retainer 28, and cylinder 27 is lowered with the aid of a crane hook and lifting lug 29 onto the arbor 2; whereby the T-section 25 in the position shown in FIG. 4, is inserted into opening 24 of the arbor 2, and the guide disc 21 registers againstshoulder 1. In this position a tool is inserted through one of the openings 30 of the spacer 22 into hole 31 of the piston rod 26 and the rod is turned by into the operating position as shown in FIG. 1.

Fluid under pressure is now introduced through cylinder port 32 putting the piston rod 26, that is connected to the arbor 2, under a predetermined tension, which makes it possible to insert the wedge 23 without effort. Upon the pressure being released this tension results in preloading the wedged connection and locking the guide disc 21 between the shoulder 1 and the spacer 22. After disconnecting the supply line from port 32, the unit is ready for operation.

In disassembling the guide disc 21, the preload is released by pressure being supplied at port 32, the wedge is removed and, if required, in removing the disc from the arbor 2 pressure may be supplied to port 33 to break any resistance to movement between the chock and arbor.

The provided axial adjustment of the guide disc 21 with reference to the product 34 in process of being pierced occurs in the illustrated example through a rotation of the worm gear nut 17 by the worm 35, displacing the adjusting sleeve 9 axially with the aid of the key 12 The drive components of the disc 21 may be of conventional design, as, for instance, through a pinion 36. The width of the gear 5 and pinion 36 is sufficient to allow the required adjustment of the disc and yet maintain a proper driving relationship with each other.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent stat utes, we have explained the principle and operation of our invention and we have illustrated and described what we consider to represent the best embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In combination with a workpiece guide disc for a piercing mill comprising:

a housing,

an arbor received in said housing having a portion extending from said housing,

said workpiece guide disc carried by said arbor portion,

means for adjusting said arbor to adjust said workpiece guide disc relative to a workpiece,

a power means having a first portion connectable to said extending portion of said arbor arranged to urge said disc into forcible contact with said arbor in a first direction coaxial to the axis of said arbor, and a second portion for applying a force to said arbor in a direction opposite said first direction and coaxial to the axis of said arbor to thereby forceably hold said disk in its operative position,

a restraining means having surfaces engageable with said power means and said disc for holding said disc against said arbor after said power means has established said forcible contact and its power has been discontinued.

2. In a combination according to claim 1 wherein said power means includes a piston cylinder assembly, the piston rod of which is connectable to said extending portion of said arbor,

said piston cylinder assembly having a first port for causing said forcible contact between said disc and arbor, and a second port for tending to cause relative movement between said disc and arbor, and

wherein said restraining means includes a wedge constructed to engage said piston rod and a spacer element arranged to contact said guide disc.

3. In a combination according to claim 2 wherein said guide disc, piston cylinder assembly, wedge and spacer element are constructed to move as a unit in the direction of the axis of said arbor relative to said housing, and

drive means for causing said axial movement.

4. In a combination according to claim 3 including a sleeve received in said housing and having means for rotatably supporting said arbor,

means for preventing rotation, but permitting axial movement of said sleeve relative to said housing, and

said drive means causing rotation of said sleeve.

5. In a combination according to claim 2 wherein said piston rod has a T-shaped end and a correspondingly shaped opening is found in said extending portion of said arbor adapted to receive said T-shaped end of said piston rod,

a spacer arranged between said guide disc and the cylinder of said piston cylinder assembly, and

a bayonet type connecting means for connecting said cylinder to said spacer.

6. In a combination according to claim 2 wherein said cylinder of said piston cylinder assembly includes a lug by which said piston cylinder assembly can be brought to and removed from said workpiece guide disc.

7. A workpiece guiding means for a piercing mill, including a guide disc for engaging the workpiece during the piercing operation,

means for rotatably supporting said disc,

means for driving said supporting means,

means for adjusting said supporting means relative to a passline of said workpiece,

a portable power means having a portion quickly connectable to and from said supporting means for applying a force in a first direction coaxial of said supporting means and a second portion for applying a force in an axial direction opposite said first direction,

whereby said forces forcibly hold said disc between opposed surfaces of said supporting means,

means for causing said power means to be carried by said supporting means during operation of said disc, and

means for causing said power means to release said hold of said disc and allow the disc to be quickly removed from said supporting means.

8. A workpiece guiding means according to claim 7 wherein one of said opposed surfaces is formed by a supporting arbor of said supporting means and the other opposed surface is formed by a spacer element carried by said guide disc, and

wherein said power means includes a piston cylinder assembly having means for connecting its rod end to said arbor to establish said forcible hold of said disc, and

a housing for supporting said arbor, disc, spacer element and piston cylinder assembly in a manner that these elements are movable as a unit during said adjustment. 

1. In combination with a workpiece guide disc for a piercing mill comprising: a housing, an arbor received in said housing having a portion extending from said housing, said workpiece guide disc carried by said arbor portion, means for adjusting said arbor to adjust said workpiece guide disc relative to a workpiece, a power means having a first portion connectable to said extending portion of said arbor arranged to urge said disc into forcible contact with said arbor in a first direction coaxial to the axis of said arbor, and a second portion for applying a force to said arbor in a direction opposite said first direction and coaxial to the axis of said arbor to thereby forceably hold said disk in its operative position, a restraining means having surfaces engageable with said power means and said disc for holding said disc against said arbor after said power means has established said forcible contact and its power has been discontinued.
 2. In a combination according to claim 1 wherein said power means includes a piston cylinder assembly, the piston rod of which is connectable to said extending portion of said arbor, said piston cylinder assembly having a first port for causing said forcible contact between said disc and arbor, and a second port for tending to cause relative movement between said disc and arbor, and wherein said restraining means includes a wedge constructed to engage said piston rod and a spacer element arranged to contact said guide disc.
 3. In a combination according to claim 2 wherein said guide disc, piston cylinder assembly, wedge and spacer element are constructed to move as a unit in the direction of the axis of said arbor relative to said housing, and drive means for causing said axial movement.
 4. In a combination according to claim 3 including a sleeve received in said housing and having means for rotatably supporting said arbor, means for preventing rotation, but permitting axial movement of said sleeve relative to said housing, and said drive means causing rotation of said sleeve.
 5. In a combination according to claim 2 wherein said piston rod has a T-shaped end and a correspondingly shaped opening is found in said extending portion of said arbor adapted to receive said T-shaped end of said piston rod, a spacer arranged between said guide disc and the cylinder of said piston cylinder assembly, and a bayonet type connecting means for connecting said cylinder to said spacer.
 6. In a combination according to claim 2 wherein said cylinder of said piston cylinder assembly includes a lug by which said piston cylinder assembly can be brought to and removed from said workpiece guide disc.
 7. A workpiece guiding means for a piercing mill, including a guide disc for engaging the workpiece during the piercing operation, means for rotatably supporting said disc, means for driving said supporting means, means for adjusting said supporting means relative to a passline of said workpiece, a portable power means having a portion quickly connectable to and from said supporting means for applying a force in a first direction coaxial of said supporting means and a second portion for applying a force in an axial direction opposite said first direction, ,whereby said forces forcibly hold said disc between opposed surfaces of said supporting means, means for causing said power means to be carried by said supporting means during operation of said disc, and means for causing said power means to release said hold of said disc and allow the disc to be quickly removed from said supporting means.
 8. A workpiece guiding means according to claim 7 wherein one of said opposed surfaces is formed by a supporting arbor of said supporting means and the other opposed surface is formed by a spacer element carried by said guide disc, and wherein said power mEans includes a piston cylinder assembly having means for connecting its rod end to said arbor to establish said forcible hold of said disc, and a housing for supporting said arbor, disc, spacer element and piston cylinder assembly in a manner that these elements are movable as a unit during said adjustment. 